Google keeps a record of almost everything you do on its services

Google stores a history of your searches, the videos you watch on YouTube, the places you visit, the apps you use, and the websites you browse — if you're signed into a Google account. This data lives in your Google Account settings under a section called My Activity, and you can see it, download it, or delete it whenever you want. The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're on a computer or phone, but the information is the same place.

Understanding what Google has recorded about you is the first step toward controlling your own data. You might be surprised by how much is there, or you might find it useful to see your own search history organized by date. Either way, you have the power to look at it and make changes.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Google search history, YouTube watch history, location history, and app activity are all stored in My Activity, which you can reach from your Google Account settings.
  • You can view your history by date, by product (like YouTube or Maps), or by searching for a specific activity.
  • Deleting individual items or entire categories of history is permanent and cannot be undone.
  • You can set Google to automatically delete your activity after a certain number of months, which removes old data without you having to do it manually.
  • Turning off activity recording stops Google from storing new history going forward, but does not erase what has already been saved.

How to access My Activity on a computer

Open a web browser and go to myactivity.google.com. If you're not already signed into your Google account, you'll be asked to sign in. Once you're in, you'll see a list of your recent activity — searches, videos watched, apps opened, and websites visited — listed with the most recent at the top.

The left side of the page has filters. You can click on a specific Google product (like "Search" or "YouTube") to see only that type of activity, or you can click on a date range to narrow down what you're looking at. There's also a search box at the top where you can type a word or phrase to find specific activities.

How to access My Activity on a phone or tablet

Open the Google app (on Android) or Safari (on iPhone), and go to myactivity.google.com. Sign in if needed. The layout is similar to the computer version, though the filters appear at the top as buttons instead of a sidebar.

On a phone, you can also reach My Activity through your Google Account settings. Open the Google app, tap your profile picture in the top right, tap "Manage your Google Account," then go to the "Data & privacy" tab. Scroll down and tap "My Activity."

What you'll see in your activity history

Your activity list shows the date and time of each action, what you did, and sometimes extra details. A search entry might say "Searched for 'how to fix a leaky faucet'" with the date. A YouTube entry might show the video title and channel. A Maps entry might show the address you looked up or the route you planned.

Not everything you do on Google is recorded. For example, if you use Incognito mode in Chrome, those searches don't appear in My Activity. If you've turned off Web & App Activity in your Google Account settings, new activity won't be recorded — but old activity will still be there.

How to delete specific items or entire categories

To delete a single item, hover over it (on computer) or long-press it (on phone) and click the trash icon. The item disappears immediately and cannot be recovered.

To delete entire categories at once, use the filter buttons on the left (computer) or top (phone) to show only the type of activity you want to remove — for example, all YouTube history or all searches from a specific date. Then look for a "Delete" button or menu option. Google will ask you to confirm before permanently removing the data.

You can also delete all activity from a specific date range. Click the three-dot menu icon near the search box and select "Delete activity by date." Choose your date range and confirm.

Setting up automatic deletion of old activity

Instead of manually deleting your history, you can tell Google to automatically remove activity older than a certain number of months. Go to My Activity, click the three-dot menu near the search box, and select "Auto-delete activity." Choose how long you want Google to keep your data — options usually range from 3 months to 36 months — and confirm.

Once you turn on auto-delete, Google will remove activity that's older than your chosen timeframe every month. This happens in the background; you don't have to do anything. You can change or turn off auto-delete anytime by going back to the same menu.

Turning off activity recording without deleting history

If you want to stop Google from recording new activity going forward, you can turn off Web & App Activity. Go to your Google Account settings (you can reach this from myactivity.google.com by clicking your profile picture), then go to "Data & privacy." Scroll down to "Web & App Activity" and toggle it off.

Turning off Web & App Activity stops Google from recording searches, websites you visit, apps you use, and YouTube videos you watch — but it does not delete the history that's already been saved. If you want to erase old activity, you'll need to delete it separately using the steps above. You can turn Web & App Activity back on anytime.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Google record my activity if I'm not signed in?

No. Google records activity only when you're signed into your Google account. If you're browsing without signing in, or if you use Incognito mode, that activity is not stored in My Activity. However, your internet service provider and the websites you visit can still see your activity.

Can I download a copy of my activity history?

Yes. Go to your Google Account settings, click "Data & privacy," and look for "Download your data." You can select which types of data to include (search history, YouTube history, location history, and more) and Google will create a file you can download to your computer.

If I delete my activity, does it disappear from Google's servers?

When you delete activity from My Activity, it's removed from your account and you can no longer see it. Google says the data is deleted from its servers, though some copies may persist in backups for a limited time before being fully purged.

Why does Google record all this information?

Google uses your activity data to personalize search results, recommend videos, show you relevant ads, and improve its services. You can limit what Google records by turning off Web & App Activity, using Incognito mode, or adjusting your ad settings — but Google will still collect some data to keep its services running.

Can I see what ads Google thinks I'm interested in?

Yes. Go to your Google Account settings, click "Data & privacy," and scroll to "Ad personalization." You'll see the interests and demographics Google has assigned to you based on your activity. You can remove interests or turn off personalized ads entirely from this page.